


The Five Day Wedding

by aureusleo



Series: Of Superheroes and Supernerds [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 02:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4688639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aureusleo/pseuds/aureusleo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Loki and Cat's wedding wagers on a drunken bet; the Avengers team up to plan a wedding within a working week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Agent_2208](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agent_2208/gifts).



> Made for Agent_2208's birthday...  
> Surprise!  
> I hope you all enjoy, I had been meaning to write this for a while, and I finally did!  
> Also, this work is meant to be chronologically before 'The Night Before the Proposal'.  
> Thank you for reading :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginnings of a wedding are coming together.

**DAY ONE**

 

 

All was never silent in the Avengers tower. Cat had come back from her Asgardian home to plan the Midgardian wedding, as to the rest of society – Loki was a very good looking criminal who had a bad day on the Battle of New York.

So, it was an ongoing joke between Cat and the rest of the team that she was actually going to be featured on ‘The Mafia Wives’.

Alongside that, her wedding planning wasn’t going terribly - considering it was so last-minute. She hadn’t transformed into a bridezilla as of yet and she was lucky to have a very loving fiancé (albeit a Norse god), a best friend with a shit ton of energy that seemed never-ending, the US government and SHIELD on her side – but there was a problem.

There was always a problem.

Cat’s relationship wasn’t so good with her parents; it never really was. They wanted her to be married off to some smarmy-so-called-childhood-sweetheart, and then she ran away for six months. Safe to say, their relationship after that had been turbulent, to say the least. Her parents weren’t the particularly loving type, and she stopped telling the truth about her life to them since she was 10 years old when she realised they didn’t particularly care.

But she was getting married.

Even the thought of it scared her, and the more she thought about it the more panic built up. She couldn’t tell Loki because he was busy trying to make peace with his father; and Ela would just tell her to man up.

Tony was the one to apparently forefront the ‘tell your parents’ campaign, and he had been surprisingly patient and calm about it. This is what worried her.

She pondered throughout the cake tasting that Jarvis and Natasha had sorted out, and so far she was set on the idea of chocolate chip cake with cookies n’ cream icing, but Pepper had tutted her and outright refused. Sighing as she pushed the plate of deliciousness away, she grimaced at the lemon meringue and its pale yellow middle, resting her head in her left hand.

Pepper eyed her curiously.

“Okay, Cat. What’s wrong?”

Cat raised her eyebrows in response. Lifting her head again, she explained her current train of thought.

“Am I really doing the right thing?”

Cat could feel Pepper resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“The wedding is in five days, and quite frankly I really don’t think asking these questions are helping you.”

Cat held in her frustration, stabbing at the piece of tangy looking cake. When she left the main drawing room with Pepper telling the cake lady exactly what she wanted, she stared at her engagement ring before walking to her room.  Slamming her door before flopping on her bed in a true teenage fashion - face first into a pillow - she really wished Loki was with her. He wasn’t that great with these kinds of emotions, but it cheered her up just trying to see him attempting to console her.

She also really wished Asgard had FaceTime or at least Skype, so all of her problems would be solved and he would just bring up the fact that in the worst case scenario, their wedding would be better than the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones. She laughed to herself before she heard a quiet knock on the door. Assuming Loki had heard her telepathic call, she opened the door to see a grinning Tony; and behind him – her parents.

Wide-eyed and short of breath, she just slammed the door shut again.

“JAR, open the door.”

Cat couldn’t even laugh at the AI’s response because she was far too shocked to contemplate what she had just seen.

“Not until you refuse to call me an inanimate object, Mr Stark.” JARVIS concluded.

“Okay, fine. JARVIS, please open the door.”

As the tinted glass door slid open, Cat nearly heaved at the sight of her tangerine coloured parents.

Tony smirked, patted her on the shoulder and left before her parents invited themselves into the room and inspected its contents. “Sorry! Barnes calls!” he chirped.

She calls out, a hint of desperation in her voice. “Barnes is in-“

Tony peeks his head through the doorframe for the last time, grinning. “I know. He’s gone MIA.”

“What?!” Her exclamation startles her parents.

“Don’t worry; it‘s usual Winter Soldier mode for him. He’s probably found a way to-“

She glances behind her to her parents. Tony shuts himself up and he nods his leave.

Turning towards her estranged parents, “Why are you orange?” was the first question that left her mouth and they frowned even more than their resting ‘ _disappointment_ ’ look permitted them to.

“Now, now Caitlyn,” Her carrot-faced father scolded her.

“Is that how you greet your parents?” her mother continued, picking up a pair of shoes and eyeing them wearily. Cat crossed her arms, unimpressed. “Let me guess, Tony invited you?”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she plotted to kill the shit out of him. Her mother turned, eyebrow raised and interested.

“It’s Tony now? How long have you been working with Stark? You didn’t tell us?”

Cat sighed, exasperated – half trying to usher them quickly out of the door. “I don’t work for him, I work with him. And no, I didn’t tell you because you didn’t need to know.”

Her father snorted, crossing his arms and minus the orange – the father and daughter looked eerily alike.

“Just like how we didn’t need to know you are getting married? To a mob boss?” he seemed so sure of himself that she almost laughed.

“Oh, for - yes!” she exclaimed, stepping closer to her parents who were looking at her expectantly. “Yes! I didn’t tell you, and I didn’t intend on it.”

Her mother scoffed, so easily offended by the obvious truth. Cat saw her open her mouth to speak, and then shut it quickly, clearly avoiding a confrontation. Clearing her throat, she walked out of the door quickly, and her father slowly followed – glancing with an expression full of disappointment. Before he slid the door shut, he stood straighter and said proudly:

“It’s what everyone in the Tropics does,”

Cat sighed exasperatedly. “What?”

He stuck his nose up and turned, looking over his shoulder as he spoke. “The tan, Caitlyn. The tan.”

She almost screamed.

* * *

 

“The Tropics?” Ela asked, eyes darting across a new blueprint. Cat nodded, taking a bite out of her cookie. She was glad that Sam had offered to show her parents around the city for some time to think things through.

“Dude, your wedding is in four days.” Ela’s disapproval is evident.

“I know. I’m stress eating.”

Cat put the cookie down on the plate beside her, silently grieving over the waste.

“Now is not a good time.” Ela turned her attention to her best friend, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. With a curious glance, she queried her best friend.

“What is the deal with this five day wedding anyway?”

Cat thought back to the drunken night of Tony’s reception.

_It was well past the mark of midnight, and the humid air had calmed their previous excitement. The Avengers and company were lounging in Tony’s rebuilt Miami home; discarded bottles of expensive champagne and the last few giggles between them. Tony had rushed Pepper away the moment their extravagant reception had ended, and the rest of them were slowly crashing from the day’s events. Steve was the sensible one, looking after the rest of the drunken idiots, snatching away the bottles from Clint’s grasp. Bruce and Natasha were in close proximity together, subtle smiles on their faces and fingers laced together. Clint was laughing every minute or so before slowly drifting off and jerking awake again. Ela had passed out completely on Bucky’s flesh shoulder, eyes furrowed in a deep sleep. Loki, Cat and Thor were the only ones not in the slightest tired or tipsy, and were engaging in a completely productive conversation._

_“I think you owe me a hundred bucks, Thor.” Cat commented, grinning and swirling the martini in her hand. Bucky grinned and raised his beer can in her direction._

_“Why is that, Lady Rose?” he challenged, a lazy grin gracing his godly face._

_“I told you Tony would whisk away Pepper before we came back here.” She stated smugly._

_“I demand reconsideration. I was not in the right of mind.”_

_Cat scoffed, and Loki chuckled._

_“When are you ever in right of mind, brother?” Loki commented with a voice full of intent, earning a light slap on the arm from his fiancée._

_“Okay. I believe we should replay this bet fairly.” Thor rolled his eyes at Loki’s remark._

_No one even realised Clint was awake when Bucky nearly flipped him across the room by instinct._

_“How do we do that?” he asked, pulling himself up against the sofa, calming his breathing._

_Loki smiled._

_“Poker.”_

_And as anyone inside secret government agencies could comment, agents and alien gods were statistically more likely to be more competitive or future gambling addicts._

_As the night passed, more and more alcohol was consumed – Thor had brought some Asgardian liquor which actually had an effect of intoxication as it was so strong, and soon enough some pretty hasty bets were on the table and all the rules of the game were discarded._

_Natasha placed a bet that involved Bucky getting his ass kicked in revenge on purpose (which she unfortunately lost); gaining constant swearing in Russian throughout the entire night._

_Bruce was attempting to resist the urge to join in before Cat bet that Tony couldn’t go an entire 12 hours without hitting on him, and if she won; he owed her servitude for an entire week._

_Clint bet that he could eat the most slices of pizza, which after Jarvis ordered 25 boxes of a large pizzas – he blatantly lost against Bucky, and more brutally – Loki._

_After his defeat, Thor bet his brother that he couldn’t get married within a five day period – to which Loki’s alpha male instinct kicked in and he was ferociously determined to complete this. Cat stared, eyes wide and unable to breathe temporarily after she spat out her water promptly over Bucky’s left arm._

_Clint asked with alcohol in his head and a serious expression; pointing at the star adorned metal arm:_

_“It doesn’t rust, right?”_

As she snapped back into the memory and cut it short.

“Thor made a bet with Loki after Tony’s wedding – and being thousands of years old with a grudge, Loki is never going to say no to beating his perfect brother.”

Ela laughed. “I can’t tell if it’s Loki that’s bitter, or you.”

Cat waved it off as Bruce walked into the robotics lab.

“City destroyer is out looking for you,” he said to Cat, dragging up a screen. Cat sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Please don’t tell me you say that to his face?” She asked, concerned for her fellow scientist.

He grins.

“That’s what makes it fun.”

* * *

 

Loki had still got his Asgardian gear on; even after Cat had told him the cape was far too dramatic for her liking. Regardless of his fashion choices, it had been an incredibly long day, and she hugged him, burrowing her face into his chest.

“Hello to you too, dear.” he says, and she can hear the happiness sneaking through his usual cold tone.

Letting out an unintelligible groan, she immediately felt comforted as he returned his arms around her.

“What’s wrong?” He asked gently, stroking her hair in their embrace. She pulled back, and he noticed how drained she looked, her usual chirpy eyes now dull and her shoulders slouched and in defeat.

“My parents are here.”

He laughed.

“Are you being serious?” He asked, now adopting the more normal English in front of his Earth-raised bride-to-be. Masking her upset, she turned away from him.

“I didn’t mean to cause offence, my dear.” He attempted to take her hand to hold it, but she swiftly removed it from his cold grasp. She shook her head. She knew she was being at least slightly immature, but in her defence, she had mentioned that her relationship with her parents were rocky. Briefly.

Maybe not, because you must have some serious father issues if you feel the need for world domination when you find out you’re adopted.

“No, I know.” She shrugged off her understanding. He pursed his lips in concern, taking her by the shoulders and kissing her on the forehead.

She suddenly lets out a laugh and he freezes, waiting for an explanation. “They think you’re a mob leader.”

He furrows his brows mockingly. “Mob? Like the mobs with pitchforks and weapons?”

She lets out a chuckle at his false obliviousness. “No. More like the Godfather.” He let out a low chuckle. Now Loki was a completely integrated member of society, he was fully updated with modern pop culture as he begrudgingly learnt alongside Steve.


	2. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is dragged to the dress fitting, and Cat has her doubts.

**DAY TWO**

 

 

Bucky was not a happy guy. He was tired, and all he wanted to do was sleep with his best girl beside him.

But apparently, his best girl had other plans. Plans which involved going to DuRose’s dress fitting.

“Doll, why are you dragging me to this?”

She met him with a glare.

“Because, it’s not like you have anything to do anyway.”

“I just got back from another mi-“

She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. Holding up his arms in defence, he shook his head with a reluctant sigh.

“Fine.”

And there it was. Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes - officially whipped. He remained in a silent tantrum until they reached the bridal boutique; Ela reading an article intently in the New York Times, Bucky brushed an arm through his hair before subtly attempting to put it around his girlfriend’s shoulders. Before he could reach them, she remained skimming the daily newspaper and replied with a swift, “Don’t.” and threw him some side-eye.

“What is up with you?” mumbling under his breath, he passed on a thanks to the driver. She swiftly got out of the car, slamming the door and walked towards the entrance with her boots clacking against the pavement. Baffled and worried, Bucky follows promptly before scanning the vicinity of the upscale clothing stores.

Wondering what he had done this time, he recalled yesterday’s events. He had returned to their apartment at the Tower, he had showered; they had spoken briefly before –

What did they speak about?

He didn’t remember, but he was plenty sure that she was fine after it. Continuing on, he noticed that her frown immediately changed into a grin as she went to hug DuRose, and her face fell at Cat’s mom standing behind her and clapping her hands in excitement.

What the hell had he done?

* * *

 

Not only was she so mad at Tony she could barely comprehend his existence, but he had gone and told her mother that she has to play an active part in the wedding.

So when she turned up to the dress fitting the next day, she found her mother (far less orange than the day before) standing happily in the shop. Ela looked just as confused as her best friend as she was rushed into a flurry of hugs from various people.

This was going to be a long day.

As Ela helped her try on a beautiful Vera Wang, she hushed her voice.

“Look, I know you’re trying to make amends with your mum and stuff, but you know how she is with planning-“

Cat interrupted her, still partly in disbelief herself. “Tony.”

“Ah.”

“It’s okay, Cat. It’s been a really stressful time, and Loki is being a bit ridiculous with his bet; but it is okay.”

Cat turned to her best friend.

“That’s not the problem. The problem is that I’m not stressed at all! And what if Loki doesn’t really love me and he’s trying to make peace with Asgard because I’m a mortal and it’s all an elaborate ruse-“

She promptly received a slap on the arm.

“Are you hearing yourself?”

Cat glanced at the mirror guiltily, avoiding Ela’s gaze.

She continued. “I don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but Loki is old. Like older than Edward from Twilight old. Like nearly as old as old gets. I’m pretty sure he’s had a couple of centuries to date hot Asgardian girls and marry them. Has he?”

Ela patted her best friend on the head, her smile faltering.

“I think you’re good.”

Still in a bit of a mood, Cat pulled up the intricate lace and said nothing until the fitting was over.

* * *

 

Ela was sick of everyone’s shit. She understood that her best friend was getting married and not only was she extremely ecstatic for her; she was pissed that she was waging her wedding on a drunken bet made months ago. She was annoyed that Cat wouldn’t even try and make amends with her parents, who her and Tony had come to such an effort to bring them from the other side of the world and tell them she was getting married (with all the initial backlash of angry shrieking and accusations of bad influences).

She was angry enough to wear a bin bag with holes cut out for arms and her head for her best friend’s wedding in protest. She bore through the ugly pastel dresses her mother picked out, equipped with frills and bows and colours that totally didn’t suit her, Nat’s or Pepper’s skin tones (frog green suits no one) and Cat just always refused to listen to her mother outright.

Her best friend was being a dramatic teenager, her boyfriend had a constant suicide mission and her parents were pushing the whole marriage idea after hearing about Cat.

So she had to play mediator for the four hour appointment. She occasionally glanced over at Bucky who had resorted to playing Candy Crush on his phone out of boredom, grunting his approval when asked. She felt bad for acting like that towards him, and it was irrational – she knew, but she was just so pent up over this damn wedding and the fact that Bucky almost got himself killed by dramatically throwing himself off Nat’s Quinjet into the Indian Ocean on his last mission – she was just super close to Hulking out.

So she decided to phone Bruce, the best person to ask about anger control. They had a long, deep chat once whilst testing out Natasha’s new stingers, and she decided he would be her new port of call on the issue. Taking a minute out, she left the store and stood out in the slight March breeze. She pulled out her phone and glanced at the screensaver of her and Bucky taking a selfie whilst skydiving (it was terrifying, she nearly broke her phone from gripping onto it too tightly) before quickly dialling Bruce’s number.

“Hey Bruce, you free?” she asked quietly, not hearing a second person come out of the door by a passing truck.

“Yeah, sure. Aren’t you meant to be-“

She cut him off.

“Yeah, I’m at the dress fitting. Look, Brucey-kins, I have a problem.”

“What?”

“They’re close to finding out.”

“About the anger issues? I thought you were good for now?”

She lowered her voice, “I’m seeing red, Bruce.”

Another truck passed and she cursed in her head at the local logistics company.

Hearing a sigh on the other end, she tries to explain hastily. “I just don’t know- I don’t know how I’m going to explain it to him. Or Cat. Especially Cat.”

“Do you want me to tell them? I’ll explain as scientifically as possible.”

She laughed dryly at his suggestion, pulling her coat tighter around her.

“No, you shouldn’t tell them. I will do, just maybe after the wedding.” She sighed again before continuing. “It’s not fair on them. Especially him. It’s wrong that I’m not telling him – I feel really guilty.”

If she could see her lab partner, she imagined him to be nodding. “I know Ela, I know. Take your time. Maybe it’s better to say it sooner than later. Especially with your new-“he was precautious with his words. “-sensitivity to emotions. Just let them know and it’ll make you feel better. What did Thor and Tony say?”

She laughed, almost uncomfortably. “They saw it happen, so obviously they had their usual confusion and constant questions. I’m surprised they didn’t ask you!”

Bruce chuckled. “Of course you told them that I knew. Another reason for Tony to stalk me obsessively.”

He paused.

“Well, you did punch through a wall in training. I’d be pretty worried, too.”

“Should try it again sometime, Bruce. It was fun! Maybe Hulk out this time.”

He sighed. “Please stop using Hulk as a verb. It only makes his vengeance towards you stronger.”

She grinned. “I’ll see you later, Brucey.”

“Bye, Ela.” She could feel him rolling his eyes.

She turned around to a furious Bucky.

* * *

 

After he saw Ela leave, he saw Cat’s pointed look that distinctly said – ‘ _go follow her and find out what exactly is the_ _problem_ ’. So he did, he followed her out, feeling so out of place with the fancy gold trimmings and simplistic décor with brandished mirrors at every corner. He almost felt his balls shrivel up.

He opened the door gently, careful not to rip it off with his hidden metal arm, and saw her standing at the edge of the pavement, a few feet ahead of him. She was speaking on the phone, and he felt something off about her.  

“Yeah, at the dress fitting. Look, Brucey-kins, I have a problem.”

Banner? Why was she speaking with him? Why in hell did she call him _Brucey-kins_?

He thought the cheesy and embarrassing names were reserved for him. He shrugged it off, putting his hands in his pockets and waiting her to finish her conversation, still eavesdropping.

“They’re close to finding out.”

He perked up. Close to finding out what? He stepped forward as quietly as possible to get a better ear on their conversation. He couldn’t hear Banner, but even Ela was speaking quietly. A loud truck passed, and he cursed under his breath and took a step closer, taking his hands out of his pockets.

“I just don’t know- I don’t know how I’m going to explain it to him. Or Cat. Especially Cat.”

Tell him _what_? Tell DuRose what? He felt his heart close up, his breathing get faster and his mind entered panic. What had happened? Had something happened when he was away in Phuket? All these questions rammed into his head with cloudy, dubious answers.

“It’s not fair on them. Especially him. It’s wrong that I’m not telling him – I feel really guilty.”

What did she do? He didn’t know what to do or say, but his train of thought was leaning in a suspicious direction. Why would she feel guilty telling him anything? Unless she had done something really regrettable. His heart pumped so fast he was surprised she hadn’t noticed.

“They saw it happen, so obviously they had their usual confusion and constant questions. I’m surprised they didn’t ask you!”

His heart almost stopped. He had literally been brainwashed into thinking of the worst situation, but this was not one he was prepared for.

Ela had cheated on him. There was no other reasonable explanation for this conversation in the logic of a hot-blooded male: and of course it had to be Banner. A mixture of very strong emotions hit him, similar to a train wreck; he could feel his gaze freezing and rage pumping blood through his veins.

He heard the smile on her goodbye.

“I’ll see you later, Brucey.”

As he felt his blood run cold, he realised he was now less than a foot away from her. She turned round, hint of a smile on her face dropping almost immediately. Heart torn from his live chest and red clouding his vision, he left with a stormy gaze and his Winter Soldier demeanour.

She thought he needed some time alone, so left him to his own devices with a last glance at his retreating figure.

* * *

 

She walked in and took off her coat, hit with the warmth of the shop.

“Hey Cat, do you know what’s up with Snowflake?” she shouted over the dressing room.

She got a brief, “Nope,” and left it at that.

* * *

 

By the time they got back to the Tower, they were exhausted and as Nat and Pepper ambushed Cat with a glass of wine and a demand for pictures and fabric samples; Ela made the long trek to her and Bucky’s apartment by trudging up the stairs. When she entered; she saw that the room was a complete state, clothes and smashed glass everywhere.

“JARVIS?” Panic swelled in her throat.

“Yes, Miss Kale?” he asked, the AI unable to respond to her emotional trauma.

“Have we been robbed?” her breathing becomes heavier and she stares at the dishevelled room, her lungs expanding to explode in her chest.

“No, it was Sergeant Barnes. It seemed he was upset before he took his things.”

Her panic attack stopped for a moment, and so did all of her organs.

“What?” she breathed out, finally noticing that indeed, all of Bucky’s things were gone?

“Mr Barnes came and, quite violently I might add, removed all of his belongings before leaving the Tower at approximately 15:15 by taxi.”

She fell to the floor, wondering how her boyfriend had just inadvertently broken up with her without her even realising. Head in her hands, she sunk against the door and shut her eyes.

* * *

 

Cat was waiting for Loki in their living room and painting her toenails when she heard a quiet knock on the door.

“Come in!” she replied, changing her attention to the doorway. It was her parents. Taking a far more defensive tactic than the day prior, they slowly entered and made their grand statement:

“Is it okay if we just have a talk with you?” her mother asked, quietly and almost – concerned?

Cat nodded hesitantly, telling them to sit down on the sofa opposite her.

“What’s up?” She asks casually, avoiding all eye contact whilst she stares at her drying toes. #

“We just wanted to apologize.” Her mother says, and Cat’s head jerks up.

Her father continues. “We know that after the business started doing well, we weren’t around much and it seemed like we didn’t care much-“

Cat grumbled. “Understatement of the year,”

Seeing as none of them heard her comment, he continued. “-but we care very much about you. After you went to college, we wanted to give you some freedom and not be on your trail all the time.” He justifies, his voice soft and reminding her of him when she was a child.

For a moment, she wants to accept their apology – but there’s something about teenage injustice that couldn’t escape her head. “Freedom? By never calling?”

They at least looked guilty.

“That is bullshit. You haven’t asked about where I am and how I’ve been since I was twelve. You’re only even here because Tony asked!” she remarks, her voice rapidly rising.

“What? It was Ela that asked us. She said you wanted to reconcile, but was afraid of-“

“Afraid of you? What? No! I didn’t want to tell you about this, and I wasn’t going to-“

“Cat-“

“No! I am so sick of you guys pretending like you care when the time is convenient to you. Are you happy now that I’m marrying an alien? Not a criminal or head of the mafia – a freaking alien.”

Her parents had shut up with their mouths agape.

“Alien?” her mother asked, shocked.

Frustrated, Cat let out a stifled scream, stubbing her toe on the coffee table as she stormed off.

“Agh!”

Loki was pushed by the mighty force of his tiny wife-to-be, and baffled he followed her silently as she didn’t seem to notice his presence. She stomped angrily all the way to the Kale girl’s apartment, and he thought it was adorable as her nose scrunched up and her cheeks tinted pink.

He watched as she entered without prior notification, shouting,

“Stay out of my life! Who do you think you are, calling my parents here and blaming it on-“

She stopped abruptly at the sight in front of her.


	3. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky finds himself lost whilst Bruce and Tony miss out on all the ice-cream.

**DAY THREE**

 

 

The search for Bucky was on.

He had seemingly disappeared off the face of JARVIS’ radar, and everyone else’s. Even Steve didn’t know anything, and being the beacon of honesty and decency he was – he wasn’t lying either. Ela was surprisingly calm about the entire situation, having pretended like it never happened for the first few hours. Now she had spent the entire night retracing every single conversation her and Bucky had over the past two months, every small argument they had and she could only put it down to one thing.

He just couldn’t deal with her being so moody to him.                       

She sat with Bruce, Tony and Clint, stabbing her spoon into the tub on cookie dough ice-cream. Mouth full, she rants out, “I just don’t understand! I mean I know I’ve been a bit angry for a couple of days but I saw the footage of him wrecking our room – and it just doesn’t make sense!”

Tony started to speak and she did not allow him to do so, face reddening and tears threatening to spill.

“What did I do? I was going to tell him about the whole issue, but he went on his own bloody suicide mission which really doesn’t help matters-“

They all let out a string of curses towards the young-looking centurion as she continued, tub of ice cream emptying slowly with all of her current feelings.

* * *

 

Cat wasn’t even bothered about her wedding, and she felt pretty guilty of barging in on her room and screaming such petty stuff at Ela. Now her recently dumped best friend just dropped her shoulders and walked past Cat with a disheartened expression, ignoring her attempts to talk to her. Loki wasn’t exactly helping the matter.

“I never trusted the Sergeant, anyway.” He comments gently, clearly attempting to make her feel better.

“That’s not helping, Loki.” She added, looking up from her laptop. He quietened.

* * *

 

Bucky had gone back to Brooklyn, sitting by the bridge and wondering around his hometown whilst it lasted. He didn’t want to speak to her, or Steve (although he knew he probably should), but he knew he had to face her at the wedding anyway.

It was Pepper who had finally found him. Rolling up in her sleek Mercedes, she rolled down a tinted window to reveal her in her work clothes and cleverly concealed dark circles.

“Get in,” she says, not particularly pleased. He raised an eyebrow at her demand, folding his arms in protest.

“There is a wedding the day after tomorrow. Get in before I run you over.” She stares him down without a hint of hesitation.

Begrudgingly, he walks over to the passenger side and gets in, pulling his black hoodie over his head. She begins to drive, switching her Bluetooth headset off and throwing a quick look over her shoulder.

“What is going on?” She asks, straight to the point.

“Nothing. Ask her.” He mumbles with his eyes straight ahead at the morning traffic.

“I did. She said she had no clue.”

“Well, she’s lying.”

“No, she’s not.”

“I’m not the one in the wrong here, Pepper.”

“I never said you were. But you can’t leave, ransack your shared apartment and leave her with zero explanation. Everyone keeps wondering why you have such a flare for the dramatic.” She comments, eyes never leaving the windshield.

“It’s not dramatic.”

She looks over to him with a quirked brow.

“Okay, I was angry. I admit. I didn’t know how to react, so I left.”

She was clearly frustrated at this point.

“React to what?”

His gaze becomes downcast.

“It was Banner. Of course, it had to be. Never trusted him-“

Pepper sharply cut him off, exasperated. “Cut the crap, Barnes! What did Banner do?!”

“I’m not the unfaithful one, here!” he points out, his own frustration showing. Pepper immediately swerves to the nearest alleyway and stops.

“What?!”

His voice becomes lower, as if he was trying to hold it together. Pepper remained in a state of disbelief.

“Don’t make me say it again.”

He received a slap across the head.

“Did you just accuse Ela of cheating on you? With Banner?” she was almost laughing. Bucky was obviously taken aback by her tone of voice.

“I heard the conversation,” he admits, his voice hardening in defence.

“Did you ask her about it?”

He considered this.

“Exactly.”

“But-“

She cuts him off once again. “Think of it like this. Bruce is her lab partner. Bruce is with Natasha, one of her friends. Natasha also could kill her within a heartbeat. You have a metal arm, which would obviously lead to conflict with Bruce. Not only could you break every bone in his body, there is a very high possibility of him becoming the Hulk.”

Bucky considered this also.

“Stop wallowing, stop assuming and trust your own girlfriend.” She states, pulling out of the alley and driving back to the Tower.

Bucky had never been humbled so quickly before, and his respect for Pepper increased tenfold and a surge of guilt hit him. Before they left Pepper’s parking space, she stopped him.

“I won’t tell anyone about your idiocy, because Tony’s done it before, but you better sort this out with her. Now.”

He nodded as the sound her heels against concrete faded away.

* * *

 

Admittedly, he fucked up. Big time.

He walked into the tower and everyone was gathered watching a film, Pepper nowhere in sight. He moved silently, but not silently enough for a room full of assassins, super-humans and aliens.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up.” Tony grinned; finally glad to be relieved of Ela’s incessant change of moods. Ignoring Stark’s comment, he glanced at Ela who was not showing anything on her very blank expression.

He sent her a look that said ‘can we talk?’ to which she nodded and slowly got up from Nat’s side. He could see that her eyes were puffy and she was trying hard to not let him know how she felt. The room was silent to a tee, and everyone waited until the pair left in the direction of the terrace before breathing.

“Well that was unnecessary.” Clint remarked, being glared at by the entire vicinity.

They stood out on the terrace, and Bucky was slightly worried. His girlfriend looked fit to murder.

“Doll, I’m-“

“You don’t get to ‘doll’ me.” Her voice was ice.

“Sorry-“

“You don’t get a fucking sorry either.”

“Let me just-“

“Explain? Like you should have before wrecking everything?”

“I was mad. I didn’t know who to tell-“

“Me! You fucking tell me!” She exclaimed.

“I know, but I thought-“

“What? You thought what? What did you think that you made me think _my_ life had fallen apart?!”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was in the very-very-pissed-off stage.

“I heard your conversation with Banner yesterday, and I thought – I misunderstood.”

She scrunched up her face in confusion.

“What? What could you have possible misunderstood to the point that you-“her eyes widened and face dropped.

“Oh.” She finished.

“You were acting a bit funny before that, and I thought something must be up-“

Her gaze was steel.

“So you thought I had cheated on you. With Bruce. Oh, okay.”

She then continues to punch him in the gut, followed with a swift kick to his private parts. His eyes widen in pain and he doubles over, gasping for breath. She leaves the terrace, her back against the brightening skyline and sits calmly back down next to Natasha. Everyone waits with bated breath for her first words.

“Who’s up for Chinese?”

* * *

 

Darcy and Jane had been arguing all the way from JFK Airport to the Tower.

“The next to get married is totally gonna be you.” Darcy finalizes, sick of Jane’s annoying humble manner.

“Thor’s busy with Asgard, I’m busy with-“

Darcy retaliates. “I don’t care. I want an excuse to be a maid of honour. I will make sure you catch the bouquet if it’s the last thing I do.”

Jane rolls her eyes. “You better plan the damn thing.”

Darcy grins, smoothing out her skirt. “You better count on it. Can we have Selvig do the vows?”

Jane giggles. “That would be incredible.”

“Anyway, how’s good ol’ Odin? Still hating on his son?”

Jane shakes her head, turning to her partner in crime. “No, in fact – I think he’s coming to the wedding.”

Darcy’s eyes widen in surprise. “Dude, no way! That’s awesome! How did that even happen?” she asks, curiosity piqued.

“Thor has been peacekeeping; something about keeping the family together and stopping being hostile with each other and everything.”

Darcy nods in understanding.

“Who’s gonna be ruling Asgard for the day, then?”

Jane then launched into a lecture about how governments work and Darcy pretended to listen until she fell asleep.

* * *

 

The wedding atmosphere was back in full flow, especially with Darcy and Jane present.

Darcy was obviously bombarding Cat with suggestive questions and hidden innuendos; and Jane was being as helpful as she could whilst also being polite as possible. Cat’s parents had backed off considerably, opting for Loki’s sightseeing tour (as part of son and in-law’s bonding) which often went along the lines of:

_“Oh, look! A building I destroyed. And that’s the statue I nearly decapitated!” he exclaims excitedly, remembering his fond memories._

_Partly horrified and partly intrigued, Mary DuRose replied with a meek; “That’s the statue of liberty.”_

* * *

 

Ela was completely fine (worrying everyone), apologizing to Cat with a long conversation about why she did it, and how she wanted this to be perfect for her. The only person she wasn’t fine with was Bucky.

She ignored his existence completely, pretending he wasn’t there when he tried to talk to her and happily went about her way when he tried to corner her.

Ela was in the gym when Sam finally brought up the elephant in the Tower. In the midst of a very intense match with the treadmill, Sam stood on the other side and faced her, holding on to the very edge. She pulled out a headphone to hear his conversation.

“What is up with you and Barnes? Again?”

She replied in between her breathing with a plastered smile. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

She nodded her head chirpily. “No, I don’t. Anyway, is your sister coming over?”

He chuckled. “Stop trying to change subject. Yes, she is.”

“I’m not. I’ll come and pick her up from airport if you want – is-“

“No, Ela. Why are you pretending like Barnes doesn’t exist?”

“Who, James? Nah, I know he exists!”

Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Steve came over, wrapping up his hands.

“Hey Ela!” he says, joining Sam on his left.

“Hey Cap! How’s it going?” she asked, pulling out her other earphone and resting them across the handles.

“It’s going good. What’s up with you and Barnes?” asking casually, he runs a hand through his damp hair.

“Nothing! Nothing is up!” she almost shrieks as she stops the treadmill and runs away from them both as fast as possible.

The two friends look at each other, confused.

“Do you know what just happened?” Sam asked, looking at Ela’s retreating figure through the glass walls.

Steve shakes his head, urging Sam to join him in a spar.

 


	4. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bride and Groom's friends decide to treat them.

**DAY FOUR**

 

 

As the final preparations were being put in place, it wasn’t as hectic as anyone imagined. Probably because JARVIS was the most efficient wedding planner as you could get.

The day flew by as the makeup artist came by with ideas and a manicure kit in tow.  Considering Cat left halfway throughout the conversation, she trusted her friends to do her face justice. Loki was on Day Two of taking her parents sightseeing, and after her parents came back the previous night – she was sure her mother had fallen in love with Loki a little bit.

_“Loki is quite the gentleman. When did you meet?” her mother asks as they walk into the kitchen._

_“About a year ago?” she replies, updating her Twitter as she walks._

_“How old is he?” she asks casually, taking a plate of fruit from the fridge._

_“A couple thousands of years. Give or take a few?” she said, smiling at her inaccuracy. Stealing a slice of apple, she tries to hold a laugh when her mother almost chokes in surprise._

* * *

 

It was the night both the bride and groom were dreading.

Cat had begged her friends for a quiet night with a film and take-out, but Pepper and especially Darcy were having none of it.

“It’s your bachelorette party!” Jane exclaims, surprising everyone with her enthusiasm.

“Yes! We can’t just let you do what you want.” Ela follows, an evil smirk gracing her face. Pepper finalise the plans.

“When we first met, Tony took me everywhere. You are going to have the coolest pre-married bridal party – ever.”

Everyone laughed, and Cat gulped. She didn’t like the sound of this.

As they told her to get dressed and shoved her to her room, within the hour – they were sat at Roxy’s, a very shady bar in the corner of Manhattan with neon lights and very inappropriately dressed men. Mortified, Cat downed the first drink she could – and within another hour – she had surprised everyone.

* * *

 

The bachelor party was a little different. Thor had dragged all of them to Asgard (yes, all of them) and was determined to celebrate in a truly Asgardian fashion.

“I don’t trust this voodoo magic, Steve.” Bucky comments, as they all waited for Heimdall to allow them to travel through space and time.

“Well it’s better now than never.” Steve’s only remark lasted as long as their nervousness as they suddenly were lifted off the atmosphere. When they reached the gateway, all of them except the brothers were green and quite sickly looking. Heimdall did not seem impressed.

As they walked towards the golden city, Thor turned to his brother with a knowing smirk. Loki smiled, patting his brother on the back.

“Thank you, brother.”

Thor smiled, chuckling. “Don’t thank me yet.”


	5. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding day has arrived.

**DAY FIVE**

 

 

Cat had no idea what happened the night before.

And judging by her fading headache, she didn’t really want to know either. As she awoke at the crack of dawn by the help of a screeching Ela with:

“It’s your wedding day! You’re getting married!” into her ear far too happily for the time it was, Cat promptly threw a pillow in her face.

“You’re such a bitch.” She follows as she hears her friend sitting on the end of her bed.

“True. But at least I’m a bitch who’s not getting married today.” She sits inspecting her new manicure.

Cat’s chest starts swelling up in panic. The colour drains from her skin faster than her wake up call, and Ela’s eyes widen in concern.

“No. No. You are not allowed to get cold feet. That is Loki’s job.”

Cat snaps out of her sudden worry and takes the time to send an evil glare in Ela’s direction. Grinning, she pulls her friend out of bed and tell her to shower, ‘ _because after last night, I don’t think you’ll ever be clean again_ ’ and that ‘ _I hope to god Loki doesn’t find out. In fact I hope no one but us finds out_ ,’ and then continues to burst out in fits of giggles.

Sighing, Cat drags herself to her bathroom, dragging her robe in tow.                        

* * *

 

Loki was very sure where he was. At least he thought he was. He wasn’t sure where his brick of a brother was lying after their drinking competition last night. Loki would always win; he always cheated with his magic.

“Oh, for Odin’s sake… Thor!” He groans to himself, waking up on a boat on the Asgardian Sea. He very well remembered everyone deciding to explore Asgard and then that’s the point where his memory begins to blurs. He remembers Sif giving them all bottles of – oh.

He looks around himself, wondering why the golden city looks so small.

When his mind finally clears, he falls off the edge of the sea, in a galaxy of stars - his panicked yell heard by no one.

* * *

 

Odin was nervous, for once in his eternal life – he hadn’t been to Midgard in centuries. He had vowed to Thor to attend Loki’s wedding, and he wished for nothing but Frigga to be by his side. Thor had brought him Midgardian attire for the occasion, a ‘ _suit and tie’_ as they called it, the ‘ _jacket_ ’ fitting far too snugly over his stomach – he becomes weary of his weight. Wondering what Frigga would think, he stands over his balcony, the peace of the Asgardian sunshine washing over him.

“Are you ready, father?” Thor asks, followed by six mortals, clearly under consequential influences of their finest liquor. He chuckles heartily, happiness swelling in his chest.

He was content as he nods and steps down, following his son through the castle.

Suddenly, a thought occurs to him.

“Where is Loki?”

* * *

 

Getting ready was an affair that was long winded and fast paced in its events and had nothing to do with Cat, other than sitting there. She felt her eyebrows being plucked at, foundation and makeup sitting uncomfortably on her skin, her fingers and toes being painted; her hair being twisted and adorned and even being forcefully dressed.

She was confused as heck.

Ela comes in when Cat is half ready; and Cat is impressed.

“Look who cleans up nicely.” She comments, smiling.

The make-up lady scolds her.

“Don’t do that. Your concealer will crease.”

She is taken aback. “Talking?”

“No, smiling.”

Ela laughs, and she can’t help but see how radiant her best friend looks.

“Look at you. All grown up.”

“Now it’s just yours and Bucky’s turn.”

Ela’s smile drops, and if looks could kill, there would be a corpse in a wedding dress. Busying herself after the comment, taking photos and talking with Nat about the bridesmaid dresses that they had picked up, Cat finally felt like she could finally breathe after everything was done.

Shay, Sam’s sister, and Jane move the full length mirror behind her.

Pepper smiles. “Are you ready to see yourself, Mrs Laufeyson?”

Cat’s takes a few deep breaths before turning around, her dress feeling all too snug and frilly, her arms feeling bare; the tops of her shoulder cold from the lack of dress. She feels the veil as added weight on her head, tickling the back of her neck; her hair feels too done and very unlike her usual ponytail.

What she sees is completely different. She finds herself gaping at the reflection, wondering if it was even possible to humanely look like that.

Then again, she wasn’t exactly marrying a human.

She could see the reflections of all of her friends in the back looking so pleased with themselves. Cracking the biggest grin she could (in spite of the make-up artist) she was so totally ready to do this.

* * *

 

Tony was laughing at the hilarity of the whole situation.

“How the fuck did we manage to lose Loki? What is this, _The Hangover_?” Rhodey comments, but is met with Odin’s disapproving stare.

“Let’s go see Heimdall.” Thor suggests, and it is the only reasonable suggestion that has come up in the last half an hour.

* * *

 

As they make their way, an uncomfortable almost silence ensues; Tony and Rhodey trying to have a _‘let’s-see-who-can-keep-a-straight-face-the-longest’_ and Clint so confused within his state that he is talking to himself.

_“Who even needs a dining room? We can just knock down the fourth wall. What about extending the barn and decking it out for a guesthouse?”_

Sam shakes his head and Banner is wondering how to tell his girlfriend that he can actually get drunk without the Big Guy interfering.

Thor is avoiding his father’s gaze, when the inevitable question comes up.

“How could you possible lose your brother so soon before his marital vows?” Odin asks, his happiness masked by his stern demeanour.

Tony loses the competition first, giggling at ‘ _marital vows’_.           

As they arrive to the gateway between worlds, they see Heimdall watching out into the stars.

“Heimdall!” Thor greets, patting his friend on the back with a loud thud.

“What calls you here, Thor? Without Loki?” he questions, eyeing the meagre crew behind him.

“That, exactly, is the problem. We have lost Loki within this realm.”

Heimdall’s booming laugh sounds like an alarm. Eyes glinting with amusement after Odin sends him a look, he can’t help but to chuckle to himself. “I will search for him. “

Bruce wonders the meaning of life; also how this big dude zoned so far out that he can see multiple universes.

He had to try that one day. He was also sure he hadn’t felt like this since in freshman year of college.

Heimdall bursts out laughing once again, using his power to send a pathway to wherever Loki was.

“He was still in the boat.” He laughs between his words, to Thor.

All sighing in relief, they all witness as a large fishing boat appears in front of the boat, a dazzled Loki sitting in its midst.

Everyone fears opening their mouths, in case a laugh slips out.

Odin purses his lips, taking a moment before speaking. “Let us go.”

Loki stands up and stares at his father for a minute in disbelief, brushes off his shirt and pretends as if he wasn’t floating through galaxies aimlessly on a fishing boat, glaring at anyone who even tries to look at him the wrong way.

* * *

 

Cat walked quietly towards her father, on a small veranda before the rooftop her and Loki were to be wed on. He turned at the sound of her shoes and found himself with bittersweet emotions. In that moment, all regrets had gone and all he could do was marvel at the wonder that he had created.

“You look incredible.” He comments, and a small smile quirks on her face.

“You look far less orange.” She remarks, and they both share a laugh. He offers out his arm, and after a moment, she takes it and temporarily forgets about all of her past issues with her parents. They were here, they had made and effort and although they had made mistakes in the past – they were really trying to make up for them now. The least she could have done is to give them a chance.

She hears the pianist start and her heart beats faster, gripping onto her father tighter. It was the late afternoon, the spring sun was soon to start setting and she just wanted to run up the damn flowered aisle to get it over and done with. Seeing as everyone would probably kill her, she took it slow, looking around at the beauty of the rooftop.

There was grass lining the concrete floor, floral arches with twisted vines and even blossoming trees dotted the huge roof; and she was going to commend Pepper on her venue finding skills. The aisle she walked down had edges of purple blossoms and twinkly lights; with a small wedding party of her close family friends and friends from SHIELD and university alike.

Awed by her surroundings, she had forgotten about Loki. He stood in front of the largest arch, lights draping behind like a curtain, the evening skyline of New York as their altar; it couldn’t have been more perfect. It was the first time she had seen him suppress a grin and she loved every second of it.

By his side was Thor, and on the other side was Ela, grinning like a fool. Sam had agreed to get his pastor, Mike, to officiate, who was apparently a really cool guy. She walked up and kissed her father on his cheek before he took his place, and did a double take when she saw Loki’s father sitting next to him. All dressed up in a suit, she almost didn’t recognise him – and she decided to bring it up later. He sent a small smile in her direction and she returned one as she climbed the steps to the makeshift stage.

Mike starts his speech. Loki sends Cat a wink and smiles when she blushes.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, and to cherish the words which shall unite Cat DuRose and Loki Laufeyson in marriage.” He takes a pause, and smiles gently before continuing.

“Marriage is the greatest promise between two people who love each other; trust in each other, and who trust in that love, who honour each other as individuals, and who choose to spend the rest of their lives together. This ceremony will not create a relationship that does not already exist between you two. It’s a symbol of how far have come over the past year. It is a symbol of the promises you will make to each other to continue growing stronger as individuals and as partners.”

They both continue staring at each other so lovingly, that as beautiful as the moment is, Ela wants to puke a little bit.

“No matter what challenges you face, you now face them together, and no matter how much you succeed, you now succeed together. The love between you joins you now as one.”

* * *

 

Now officially Mr and Mrs Laufeyson, the wedding was a wonderful sight for everyone to witness; and several myths and stories were officially debunked by the newlywed’s first dance.

Everyone slightly tipsy and in a great mood, Tony explained how they lost Loki.

“-the last thing I remember was being on the port – I don’t know why, or how the hell I got there, but next thing you know, a very confused groom was lying on a fishing boat and floating off to the edge of the Asgardian sea.”

Ela scoffed. “Of course you did nothing about it.”

Tony held up his hands in defence. “It’s not like we were fully competent either. I’m pretty sure Bruce tripped out on whatever the hell he had.”

Natasha quirked a brow towards Bruce, curious at his escapades.

“Well, Pepper had quite a night.” Shay comments smugly, raising a glass to the other girls.

“Please don’t-“Pepper groans, taking a sip of her drink to avoid the painful answer.

Tony snickers and his wife glares at him. “Honey, what did we say about the stripping problem?” he asks, and she then throws her champagne over him. Everyone began laughing, with even Tony joining in, his $500 shirt now covered in an equally expensive bottle of champagne.

Ela felt a tap on her shoulder and she knew the conversation was inevitable as soon as she heard his footfall 50 feet behind her. Avoiding obvious confrontation, she gets up and excuses herself from the group, watching them resume conversation as she follows Bucky.

“You look incredible.” He says as they reach the outwards perimeter of the roof.

“Not too bad yourself.” She responds, internally grinning at his compliment.

He turns towards her. “Look, Ela, I’m sorry about the whole-“

“Oh, give it a rest!” she grins, pulling him by his tie and kissing him.

* * *

 

Everyone was dancing contently or sharing drunken stories, so Loki found it the perfect opportunity to allow his new bride and his father to speak.

Ushering her over to him, who was conversing with Jane, he nods and greets him.

“Father.”

“Loki. You are yet to properly introduce me to your bride.” Odin comments, his guard dropping for a slight second.

“Hi, I’m Cat.” Cat holds out her hand, unsure about the level of formality towards the alien royalty/father-in-law.

“Hello, Cat.” He returns with a nod, turning his attention to Loki.

“You’ve chosen well.” He says before leaving.

“Well, that went terribly.” Cat says, quite confused by the short conversation. Loki smiles to himself. Thor interrupts their conversation, admitting his eavesdropping.

“It means he likes you.”

They all break out into a laugh, giddy on the atmosphere.

Loki continues to pull her to the empty photo-op space, and she questions his actions.

“Loki, we’ve already had our photos?” her knitted brows question him.

“I know. I wanted to take you somewhere.” He says hurriedly, holding her hands and giving her a look of reassurance.

“Loki?!” Before she can say anything at all, he whisks her up to the gateway between worlds before she can speak another word of protest.

“Stop doing that!” she gasps. The boat from earlier is still there, and Heimdall nods.

“Congratulations.”

She smiles and turns her attention back to Loki, who pulls her into the boat.

“What the hell, Loki?!”

He presses a finger to her lips and looks at the gatekeeper.

“Heimdall, if you would.”

“Of course.” The tall man agrees, and within seconds, Loki and Cat Laufeyson are floating in some unknown galaxy, with the universe and the stars the only ones to hear their conversation.

“Loki, this is not what I had in mind when I said I didn’t want a honeymoon.”   

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!   
> Please leave a comment if you loved/hated it, and many Loki feels for you all!


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